Composition of matter useful for insulating and other purposes



Patented Feb. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMPOSITION OF USEFUL FOB INSULATING AND OTHER PURPOSES Brouwer D. McIntyre, Monroe, Mich assignor to Insulation Development Corporation, Monroe, Mich., a corporation oi! Michigan No Drawing. Original application May 18, 1935, Serial No. 11,737. Divided and this application July 27, 1936, Serial No. 92,931 1 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a composition of matter useful for insulating and other purposes.

This application is a division of my co-pending aggication Serial No. 11,737, flied March 18, The invention has as one of its primary objects to produce a material having highly eflicient insulating properties and having a consistency and other characteristics which enables the material to be applied by spraying the same onto the suriace to be coated. Another object of the invention is to provide a material having the same desirable insulating characteristics which may be molded or. otherwise formed into sheets, blocks, slabs or the like suitable for use in insulating, for instance, the dash boards of motor vehicles, the wallsof refrigerators, and in other places where the particular insulating characteristics of this material renders its use advantageous.

One of the uses for my improved insulating material is in the insulating of automobile bodies and 'the like to reduce the rumble and vibration of the same. In its application to automobile bodies, my improved insulating material is formed with a consistency suitable for spraying onto the inside oi the automobile body and thus provides-means for adequately insulating the body throughout even at placeswhere sharp angles andlnaccessibility rendered the application of sheet insulating material commercially impractical. This mate rial may also be applied, for instance, on the exposed metal parts on the underside of automobiles, and when thus used acts to reduce road noise and to prevent stone bruises on fenders and other sheet metal parts.

My improved composition of matter consists principally of an adhesive vehicle and a body material having insulating characteristics. insulating material consists of vermiculite ground to the desired size and expanded by the use of heat to several times the size of the original crude particles. The adhesive material employed may be asphalt or some other bituminous material; or resin; or casein glue, or a combination of any two or more of these combined with water. A plasticizing agent in the form of normal latex or chemical vulcanizedlatex may be and is preferably added to give elasticity to the material. In some instances ground rubber has been successfully used.

In preparing the mixture when the same is to be sprayed onto the surface to be coated, the vermiculite particles are preferably of a size known as minus 28 plus 60 crude expanded before mix-t The (c1, lac-cs) constitutes a good dielectric substance and is of a non-hygroscopic nature. 7

The use of an adhesive vehicle consisting of a solution of water, and casein glue or a solvent solution of asphalt or other bituminous material; or a solvent solution of resin; or a combination of two or more of these materials, together with the use oi?v a plasticizing agent, such as normal latex or chemical vulcanized latex, contributes certain definite advantages to this composition of matter. The resulting mixture is waterproof and when sprayed or otherwise applied will adhere to such smooth surfaces as steel, or any other surface to be insulated or coated. Due to the rubber content, the mixture is rendered sufilciently flexible to prevent the same from becoming loosened by vibration or Jars.

When a bituminous material is to be employed as an adhesive the following formula has been succesiully employed:

The use of an adhesive vehicle including bituminous material and resin has also been iound Parts successful. When these materials are employed as the adhesive vehicle, the following formula may be followed:

Parts Solvent solution of bituminous material 10 Solvent solution of resin 10 Normal latex"; 2

or Vulcanized latex v 2. Water 10 Expanded vermiculite--. 10'to 15 emulsified bituminous material, and, in this instance the following formula may be followed:

As has been heretofore mentioned, the exact proportions given in the preceding formulae may obviously be varied without materially changing the characteristics ofthe product. If the plasticlzing agent is deemed unnecessary, the latex content may be omitted. i v

In the examples given herein, a non-curing rubber cement may be substituted for latex.

Any of the mixtures of substantially the proportions hereinbefore given have aconsistency suitable for application by spraying and thus may be used to great advantage in insulating the interiors of automobile bodies and the like, as

has been hereinbefore pointed out. When employed as a spray-on insulating material for automobile bodies, thematerial has several important advantages. For instance, the material has superior sound and vibration deadening qualities. It is waterproof; it is not affected by atmospheric temperature changes, and is strongly adhesive to smooth surfaces such as steel and the like. As has been pointed out, the mixture may be applied by spraying and willL not support combustion. Moreover, the weight of the material when applied in sumcient amount to adequately insulate an automobile body is much less than that of any of the well-known type of insulating materials used for the same purpose. The material is odorless when dry and it can be applied without fear of its permeating through the upholstering material to discolor or injure the latter.

By using any of the formulae hereinbefore set forth but substituting a coarser grade of vermiculite particles, the material may be molded or otherwise formed into sheets, blocks, slabs or the like. If molded, the material is poured into a mold and allowed to set or harden in the presence of sumcient heat to evaporate the moisture. Thus the material may be made in the form of a slab or sheet suitable for insulating the dash of a motor vehicle, the sheet or slab being cemented, bolted or otherwise fastened to the motor vehicle dash either on the inside or outside thereof.

Blocksor slabs of this material may be used to particular advantage asan insulating medium for the walls of refrigerators and the like, particularly in view of the high non-hygroscopic nature of the material.

I have also found that a coating of this material sprayed or troweled onto walls or ceilings will have very definite sound absorbing characteristics and also great resistance to the transfer of heat or cold through the wall or ceiling.

This combination of matter, when the finer particles of vermiculite are used, maybe successfullyemployed as a coating for fabrics to add to the stlflness or rigidity of such fabrics when the latter are used as door panel coverings, top material, or head linings in motor vehicles and the like. The material may also be used as a backing for floor carpets where it acts both as a binder for the short threads or hairs which form the pile, and as an insulator against heat and noise. It can also be used to advantage in the construction of solid t'ype roofs to give structural strength and insulate the same against noise and drumming.

This composition of matter may also be used to advantage in many other ways not at present known and as a consequence not herein specifically enumerated.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An insulating material of the character described comprising an adhesive vehicle consisting of a solution of bituminous material, a plasticizing agent consisting of latex, andexpanded particles of vermiculite.

2. An insulating material of the character described comprising expanded particles of vermiculite, an adhesive vehicle combined in the material in sunicient quantity to permit the material to adhere to a relatively smooth surface and consisting of a solution of bituminous material, and a plasticizing agent consisting of latex combined in the material in sufficient quantity to afford the elasticity required to prevent cracking or chipping of the material when subjected to vibrattions.

3. 'An insulating material of the character described comprising an adhesive vehicle consisting of a solution of bituminous material, a plasticizing agent consisting of latex, expanded particles of vermiculite, and a diluentcombined in the material in sumcient quantity to provide the material with a consistency suitable for application by spraying.

BROUWER D. MOIN'I'YRE. 

